A post to the Electronic Arts Forums by DICE designer Alan 'Demize99' Kertz talks about the effort they are putting into the PC port of Battlefield 3, the next installment in their military shooter sequel, showing a straightforward understanding of the concerns PC players have about consolization (thanks Ant via Planet Battlefield). Here's a bit:

Consoles generally are less tolerant of overly complex interfaces. They have less buttons, you need more elegant interfaces. Deep systems work well though if they have a straight forward interface. The fun is not in figuring out how to use the system, it's in figuring out how to best use the system.

PC players have their own set of requirements. They tend to play only on PC, and they know their PCs have capabilities beyond that of a console. The gap is narrowing, but PCs still have a clear advantage in memory. PC players also demand a PC interface, a server browser, and anything that feels like it might have been "ported" from a console is going to get flamed hard. They are more forgiving of complex systems and will tear any design down into its parts to really figure out how it works. It's a damn sight harder to please a PC player, they have higher expectations.

It's too early to talk BF3 specifics. But it's never too early for me to acknowledge that PC players have a fear that BF3 will be "consolized." PC gaming is alive and well, BFBC2 has proven that and no one at DICE or EA can argue with the numbers. Battlefield 3 needs an extra bit of special attention on the PC. I intend to give it that attention, tradition and our community demand it.

Surf wrote on Oct 25, 2010, 23:33:So far only BF Vietnam sucked nuts with 1942 and BF2 taking the cake of some of the best online game of all time, right there with CS and Tribes!

I always need to hop into these discussions and mention that I loved Vietnam.

As well as I can remember it was the first (popular) game to have useful jungle cover. I remember there were quite a few maps with muddy roads flanked by high jungle covered hills. It was so fun to be traipsing through the jungle and pop out to take out a tank or some infantry in the open. Sit on the edges and guard rope bridges.

Though I really spent the majority of my time low flying apaches through trees and hover capping.

BF3 must remain a PC game only, plain a simple. BF2 mastered the fun and complexity of something like Counter Strike and took it to the next level with more players and vehicles with great maps.

The whole commander idea, the squad idea, the great voice abilities and quick commands.

It was so great to see a really together 5 person squad take on 10-15 other RAmbo assholes and just see them destroy them over and over. A good teammate says "I just died, what class do we need?" and fills the spot, NEVER thinking of his KD ratio or personal score.

BF3 needs to remove scoring, or have the ability too. If you don't win the map, YOU GET NO POINTS!

They also need to consolidate squads and Bad Company did so well.

Remove the shotgun.

Ability to limit how many snipers can be on a team at one time.

Add the excellent physics that BC2 has!

Large open maps!

Current warfare armaments and vehicles.

I think they could do it. So far only BF Vietnam sucked nuts with 1942 and BF2 taking the cake of some of the best online game of all time, right there with CS and Tribes!

bhcompy wrote on Oct 22, 2010, 12:27:To be more fair, DICE was cool until EA bought them and wrecked it

Yeah I agree 100%. I remember reading about Battlefield 1942 in PC Gamer in like 2000, about being 64 players, land/sea/air, 15+ maps, etc.... I remember waiting and downloading the tobruk demo and everything. 1942 is easily a top 5 game of all time for me, all thanks to DICE.

Not really the same staff/company that they were during that era though.

G-Snake wrote on Oct 22, 2010, 09:53:Well after reading up some more and viewing those slides that were linked earlier, I can say that I've more or less lost all hope for BF3.

Another great franchise brutally raped and murdered by mentally retarded developers and crappy consoles.

Guess I'll be playing BF2 for another 5 years (that's assuming EA doesn't take down the stats/rankings before BF3 is released...which will likely happen).

No more money from me DICE :(. From so much potential, to so much fucking agony in failing to just simply listen to their customers. I've gone from wanting to see DICE succeed to wanting to see DICE fail miserably so they can stop perpetuating this nightmare.

To be fair, DICE isn't the only development studio guilty of this, I think most of them are now.

Well, lets hope at some points - they have made enough money (many have) and have been in there long enough that they will mature and realize they would like their legacy to be a QUALITY pc game and not console garbage....one can only hope....

Well after reading up some more and viewing those slides that were linked earlier, I can say that I've more or less lost all hope for BF3.

Another great franchise brutally raped and murdered by mentally retarded developers and crappy consoles.

Guess I'll be playing BF2 for another 5 years (that's assuming EA doesn't take down the stats/rankings before BF3 is released...which will likely happen).

No more money from me DICE :(. From so much potential, to so much fucking agony in failing to just simply listen to their customers. I've gone from wanting to see DICE succeed to wanting to see DICE fail miserably so they can stop perpetuating this nightmare.

To be fair, DICE isn't the only development studio guilty of this, I think most of them are now.

Beamer wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 11:53:Think more that you're a gigolo, and you can fuck a supermodel who will pay you $100 a week or you can fuck a thousand ugly girls that will pay you $100 a week each. Many of the ugly girls feel they're lucky to have you and treat you like a god while baking you brownies; the supermodel keeps pointing to your beer belly and complaining, then using her vibrator and telling you how much better she is at getting herself off than you could ever be.

Best.Analogy.Ever.

Creston

Well, enjoy that 100k with a side of herpes then! I will stick to the supermodel....she thinks my beer belly is cute.

For the same reason BF2 isn't on Console.It is to complex for 6-10 buttons and requires a hell of a lot more resources.Just look at the game limitations of console games. 8-16 players games. whooopity dooo!

We were playing DOOM and QUAKE games with more people OVER A FRIGGEN MODEM!

Jerykk wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 23:41:BF3 will not be the next Crysis. It will be a console port and as such, it will run at least decently on any gaming PC made within the past few years. And since Steam's demographic consists primarily of gamers, it's safe to assume that the vast majority of people in these statistics have gaming PCs capable of running modern games.

Aye, less money spent on hardware means more money spent on software is likely part of the thinking there.

Dice did exactly that with BF2 and 2142 they had maps that scaled for 16/32/64 players. They changed the boundaries on the maps and other subtle changes. Its certainly possible the question will they who knows.

Out of that 29% how many of these are older PCs and laptops that don't have to power to run new games that come out now anyway, let alone BF3 which will come out in probably a year? How many of those 29% will upgrade to a new PC in the next year?

I'm pretty sure both those cases are included in the 9% that has a DX8 card or an early DX9 card.

BF3 will not be the next Crysis. It will be a console port and as such, it will run at least decently on any gaming PC made within the past few years. And since Steam's demographic consists primarily of gamers, it's safe to assume that the vast majority of people in these statistics have gaming PCs capable of running modern games.

Finally, Steam's statistics do not encompass all of PC gaming. There are people who don't use Steam or don't participate in the hardware polls. Simply put, cutting out almost a third of your potential audience is a stupid and completely unnecessary move given that the 360 uses DX9 and the PC version will be a port of the 360 version.

AnointedSword wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 18:57:1.Stop warzing Pc games 2.Give constructive feedback instead of whining like school girls (this is not a personal attack).3. Get involved and become a developer yourself. If you can do a better job, prove it!

Just one to add one more thing. Go watch the black op vids, that game is going to rock! :)>

1. Stop posting.

let us play against the console guys. i have a strong suspicion the mouse/keyboard will mop the floor against a controller.

No one cares who beats who at what, that's just forum fanboy war nonsense. I just want platform titles on the PC that play off it's strengths instead of haphazardly tossed onto the pile.

you know what i think would be some nice targeting of PC gamers in general? let us play against the console guys. i have a strong suspicion the mouse/keyboard will mop the floor against a controller.

bf2bc2 is a solid ass game though. the destructable environment has been a complete gamechanger for me, now a nondestructable FPS just seems stupid. the graphics kick ass, the UI is good, the character classes have evolved and are pretty logical at this point. i've loved every battlefield, but so far i love this one the most.

LittleMe wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 21:17:It's a great game maybe, but not a great "PC" game. It's a cross platform game and it did little to target the PC market. Things like modding support, higher player counts, more open maps, a native UI for mouse & KB, more complicated gametypes, were all missing and disqualify BC2 from being a great true PC native game.

I do agree with you but it certainly did more to "target the PC market" than those clowns at Activision Infinty Ward.

Innocent wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 19:42:er...the lack of mod tools is frustrating, but overall, bfbc2 is a GREAT pc game. i think it's the best bf to date. i don't understand all the posts raging hatred at it.

It's a great game maybe, but not a great "PC" game. It's a cross platform game and it did little to target the PC market. Things like modding support, higher player counts, more open maps, a native UI for mouse & KB, more complicated gametypes, were all missing and disqualify BC2 from being a great true PC native game.

AnointedSword wrote on Oct 21, 2010, 18:57:1.Stop warzing Pc games 2.Give constructive feedback instead of whining like school girls (this is not a personal attack).3. Get involved and become a developer yourself. If you can do a better job, prove it!

Just one to add one more thing. Go watch the black op vids, that game is going to rock! :)>

#1 is spot on: stop stealing, publishers/devs make more money, we get PC games; its that simple